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In
a year when the subversive film crown was handed to Ghost World,
Donnie Darko was a near-masterpiece almost no one saw because
of the post-Columbine funk which has excluded from distribution
nearly any film that that links schools with violent themes. Now
it's available on DVD. GO SEE IT NOW.
From
a rough idea of the plot it's easy to see why Donnie Darko didn't
receive wide distribution last year. Donnie, a student who attends
a Christian middle school, suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and
is perpetually either doped up (which also causes him to be outspoken)
or suffers from vivid delusions.
When
the film begins, one of his prime delusions, a horrendous giant
rabbit named Frank, lures Donnie out of his house in the middle
of the night. A fateful decision because while he's out an airplane
turbine smashes into his bedroom. Not only does 'Frank' save Donnie's
life, he also has a fateful message: the world will end in 28 days,
6 hours, 42 minutes.
So
begins a story of often intense foreboding in which Donnie (in a
brilliant performance by Jake Gyllenhaal) seemingly falls prey to
ever more dangerous suggestions by giant rabbit Frank. Although
taking increasingly large doses of anti-psychotics, Donnie can't
keep himself from either acting up in school or acting out missions
of vandalism suggested to him by Frank in a bid to prevent impending
doom.
The
overall tone of Donnie Darko veers widely from darkly satirical
to metaphysically bright on this winding road seemingly to oblivion.
In school, Donnie's outspoken nature leads him to fearlessly poke
holes in the Christian establishment with often hilarious results.
Although officially a misfit, Donnie's brazen questions give him
a heroic stature with the other students. However, his antics put
pressure on his family and psychiatrist to solve his problems.
Donnie
and friends take time out to watch a horror movie
Watching
Donnie Darko is like watching a metaphysical trainwreck.
Metaphysical because it is a major question whether Donnie is
actually talking with a giant rabbit named Frank who purports to
be a time traveller from the future. While obeying Frank's every
demand, Donnie also investigates the truth of the world suggested
to him, a world where time could run in a loop and impending disaster
could be averted. Yet, for most of the film the chain of events
the audience witnesses could be the gradual disintegration of a
mind, leading to catastrophic results as Donnie's acts of sabotage
become wilder.
Serving
the excellent mood is the atmospheric direction of first timer Richard
Kelly who won the grand jury prize at Sundance for Donnie Darko.
In inventive photography and in story, Kelly has created what
could be called the inheritor of Fight Club for successful
use of special effects as a foundation for narrative.
As
Donnie Darko, Jake Gyllenhaal stares out at the screen with heavy
lidded eyes, evoking constant dread but also humour. Unlike other
performances where mental disability is a factor, Gyllenhaal never
lapses into parody or stereotyped mannerism. His Donnie exists in
a world that is both bright and filled with perceived dangers. For
all his actions, he's a hero in his own imagination.
The
rhythm of the doom that Donnie Darko churns out does work
against it, in an ending that, while making sense, isn't as much
of a payoff as the events leading up to it seem to indicate. A clever
ending really wasn't needed when the trip worked such an impressive
mood.
If
it had been released pre-Columbine with the same amount of support
as Being John Malkovich, Donnie Darko could have been
on everyone's radar. Instead, it was dumped, a gem that hardly surfaced
in theatres.
On
DVD.
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